The Reasons I love Forsyth County - the first two are here!
I love lists. They are fun to read and I enjoy reading them because they are usually short and to the point. With my ADD addled brain – it's one of the best ways for me to disseminate information and remember things. So here is my list of the coolest reasons I love living in Forsyth County starting with numbers one and two:
1. First and foremost: LAKE LANIER!!!!!
Who would not want a big, freshwater lake to sail, ski, fish, live on and still have great amenities close by for us city-type folk to enjoy? The construction of Lake Sidney Lanier and Buford Dam was authorized by an act of Congress in 1946. Its original purposes were for power production, flood control, downstream navigation and fish and wildlife management. Buford Dam harnesses the waters of two rivers – the Chattahoochee and the Chestatee, which both start in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.
Construction began in 1951 and was completed in 1956 at a total cost of $45 million. Today, estimates of the economic impact of Lake Lanier exceed $5.5 billion annually, based on a study conducted by the Marine Trade Association of Metropolitan Atlanta in 2000. More than $96 million in electricity has been produced by the powerhouse generators located at Buford Dam since 1957. Lake Lanier, located in the Highlands Region of Georgia, features 68 park areas that include boat ramps, picnic settings, hiking trails and camping. Fast Facts about Lake Lanier At a glance, here are fast facts about Lake Sidney Lanier.
- 39,000 acres of water
- 692 miles of shoreline
- Created from the Chattahoochee and Chestatee Rivers by Buford Dam
- Authorized by Congress in 1946
- Construction began in 1951
- Opened in 1956
- 8 million annual visitors
- 68 parks and recreation areas
- 12 campgrounds with more than 1,200 campsites
- 10 full-service marinas with restaurants, gas docks, pump-out stations and boat storage
- Home to Lake Lanier Islands with two resort hotels, golf and a water park
- Additional lakeside cabin camping, restaurants and boat launch areas
- Most Corps of Engineers facilities at Lake Lanier are handicapped accessible. Information above from Great Lakes of Georgia
- Search for Lake Lanier Houses for Sale
2. Variety of HOUSING and LOW TAXES!
In the last 15 years we have seen Forsyth County grow exponentially from an agricultural county to a vibrant part of the suburban metro Atlanta housing landscape with a variety of housing prices from affordable to high end, golf, equestrian, lake, suburban and work/live communities. This has also brought an influx of wealth to the county creating brand new high performing schools and local branches of some of Georgia's best colleges including Lanier Tech, North Georgia College and more.
Property taxes here are typically lower than most of the other metro Atlanta counties since the county does not have to support big local government and facilities like some others in the state. This was one of the largest reasons many people have chosen Forsyth County to buy houses in.
Coming up next - the next two COOL Places in Forsyth County!
Editor's Note: Mary Anne Payne has been selling real estate in the North Atlanta marketplace, including Cumming and nearby communities since 1992. She also joins our "Local Voices" as a blogger for Cumming Patch.
